Monsanto pulls plug on NatureMark spuds.
'Ihe company would only say it is concentrating its biotechnology
efforts on four major crops
BY PETER RESCHKE
Ontario Farmer 6 March 2001
Monsanto has decided to get out of the genetically modified
business for potatoes. Starting with the 2001 season, the company will no
longer market its NatureMark potato, the one that features a Bt
gene to help it ward off Colorado potato beetles. Adele Pelland, the
company's manager of public affairs, says Monsanto will buy back
any pre-commercial lead seed that growers have already purchased.
Common seed, which is currently held by a few growers, can still be planted
this year since the varieties are still registered, she says.
The announcement came "as kind of a surprise", says OMAFRA
potato specialist Eugenia Banks. She says seed growers received letters
announcing the decision a couple of weeks ago. Although the
genetically modified varieties Shepordy and Atlantic gave growers new
resistance against insects and disease, Banks says sales of the
varieties "were not very good." She says the varieties were
agronomically good but there was concern about consumer reaction,
which was heightened when One major processor, McCain, decided it
would no longer buy GMO spuds. Pelland played down the antiGMO
controversy and would only say that Monsanto has been forced to
concentrate its biotech resources in strategic areas. From now on the
company will be focusing on corn, oilseeds, wheat and cotton. "We've
had to scale back our activities with other crops," she says.
Shepordy had two resistance genes, one to combat Colorado potato
beetles, the Other against mosaic virus, Banks says. Atlantic only
carried the Bt gene against the beetles.